ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · last · foot · chip · cue · bore · wound · drill

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — for catching
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. net — in sport
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cue — a signal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cue — a hint
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chip — to eat
  17. drill — army training
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. net — after costs
  20. last — final
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cue — for pool
  24. foot — a measure

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com